Improvement in cartridge-retractors for breech-loading fire-arms



UNITED STATES PATENTv rricn.

H. H. WOLGOTT, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

vIIi/IPROVl-IIVENT IN CARTRIDGE-RETRACTORS FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown thatI, H.H. WOLCOTT,of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State ot' New York, have invented a new and usefnlImprovelnent in Fire-Arms 5 and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and ex- .act description thereof, which will enable othtion taken in the line :rof Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an i elevation of a longitudinal section taken on the line y of Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a plan viewot' that part of the arm which contains my improve' ments. Fig. 5 is across-section taken through the breech-plate on the line z ot' Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken through the receiver C and the shell-drawer Fon theline z of Fig. 3. Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in a new and improved shellz-drawer for breech-loading tirearms, which is operated by means of the swinging ot' the breech-plate.

A represents a portion ofthe stock, and B a portion ot' the barrel of a breech-loading gun of the pattern known as the Starr77 breechloader, which I have here shown for the purpose of illustrating my invention and its application and use.

Gis the receiver, within which are contained the breech-plate d and the Wedge-pin d, which are connected by a joint, a. Thebreech-plate is secured in the receiver by the pivot I), and it is locked in place therein by means of the guard 6 and the spring-latch c.

E is the hammer, and f the trigger, of the un. g F is the shell-drawer, which is seen in side view from opposite sides in Figs. 1 and 2. Its positionV in the gun is in the left-hand corner of the receiver, aportion of the breech-'plate being cut away (see Figs.5and 6) to give it place. It is itted to move horizontally along the side of the receiver next to which it is placed, and is guided in its movements by a ledge, g', which projects from it and ts easily in a horizontal groove, g, made in that side of the receiver. An arm, O, projects through or beneath the forward part of the receiver'and beneath and at one side of the breech of the gun, and extends beyond that part ot' the receiver far enough to receive a spiral spring, which is placed about it, whoseouter end is held against a collar on the extreme end of the arm O, and its inner end against any suitable stop. In this example I have shown its inner end to be held against the front part of the receiver. The arm 0 in this example is held in a groove cut to receive it in the under side of the receiver, and it is held up and retained in the groove by means of the head ot a screw, K, whose head is seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

m is an arm of the shell-drawer, which extends at right angles from its front edge, and which ts in a recess cut for it in the breech of the barrel, Its outline is seen in Fig. 6, which shows an elevation of the arm m, the breechplate being withdrawn. A portion ofthe arm is curved to conform to the bore of the barrel, the curved part forming an arc of a circle, and its curved edge having a circular groove, 2, to receive the rim of the cartridge, thus leaving a rim, 3, on the curved part of the arm m, which is flush with the bore of the barrel, and which therefore embraces the shell of the cartridge forward of its rim.

rIhe inner side face of the shell-drawer E is cut away, as seen in Fig. 3, in order to form a projection, i, on the back part. This projection is seen also in Figs. 5 and 6, which show it in edge view, and valso in Figs. l and 2, where the dotted outline shows the part cut away. The hinder part of the shell-drawer is curved, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and the recesses cutfor itin thebreech-plate are alsocnrved, this configuration being given to those parts in this example of my invention, in order to permit the pin in the breech-plate to retain its hold of the projecting rim t' while it is being withdrawn from the receiver.

h is a pin set in a socket made in the side of the breech-plate immediately before the line of the projecting rim t' when the breech-plate and shell-drawer are in place in the receiver. A spiral sprin g placed in the bottom ofthe socket impels the 'pin outward, and that face of the pin which is toward the breech is beveled, so that it will slip past the said rim t' by means of the yielding of the spring when' the breechplate is brought up to its place. When the breech-plate is withdrawn to reload the gun the pin h is drawn against the inside of the rim i, and the shell-drawer is pulled backward, carryingthe empty shell with it.' Since the breechplate is usually withdrawn rapidly it follows that the shell will be drawn out from the breech with a quick motion, and with a force which will carry it entirely out oi' the receiver. The inner side of the rim i is curved to permit the pin to run along with ease, and the pinescapes below the bottom of the rim when the breech-plate has reached its greatest distance in a horizontal direction from the breech of the gun7 the rim being extended downward far enough to cause it to be retained by the pin until the shell-drawer has drawn the shell clear from the breech or to a sufcient distance to allowit to give the desired impetus to the shell. The ledge g of the shell-drawer travels along lthe groove during its backward movement, and

when the pin h has escaped from the foot of the rim i the spring j on the arm O causes the shell-drawer to be returned to its place against the breech of the barrel.

I do not lay claim to the use of a spring for returning the shell-drawer to its place next the breech, nor to the means here shown of supporting a spring-to wit, by the arm O. Instead of using an arm like O to sustain and apply a spring to return the shell-drawcr I can apply a suitable spring in the receiver itself; but as such a modification is within the skill of any competent gunsrnith, I need not here describe any other mode of applying it.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of the shell drawer F, tongue g, laterally-projecting rim z', and pin h, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

H. H. WOLCOTT.

XVitnesses z M. M LIVlNGsroN, G. L. ToPLrFF. 

